



WHEN MOTHER 
LETS US HELP 

CONSTANCE JOHNSON 



Class 




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COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 



WHEN MOTHER LETS US HELP 




Mending 



WHEN MOTHER 
LETS US HELP 



MANY PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS TO LITTLE FOLK WHO 

WANT TO BE USEFUL ABOUT THE HOUSE—WITH 

SEVERAL IMPORTANT RULES IN RHYME 



Bij CONSTANCE JOHNSON 

Author of " When Mother Lets Us Cook " 



Illustrated by Ada Budell 




NEW YORK 

MOFFAT, YARD AND CO:\IPANY 

1909 



Copyright. 1909. by 
MOFFAT, YARD AND COMPANY 

All Rights Resened 
Published, TSovember, 1909 

1^ 



^1^^ 



©CI.A252tr>H 



TO 

HELEN AND FAY 



PREFACE 

There are many cliildren who want to help 
about the house but do not know how to begin. 
This book is meant for them. 

A number of important duties have been pur- 
posely omitted from this book, as not suited to 
little folks ; but even so a mother would do well to 
mark out such matters as she thinks unwise for 
her children to undertake until they are at least 
fifteen, — such as the care of lamps, lighting fires 
and washing windows. 

Now just one word to the young folks them- 
selves. It is better to be a happy home-keeper 
than a perfect housekeeper ; and if you find that 
you cannot be bright and happy and at the same 
time have your house spotless and in applepie 
order, then let the housekeeping go, and attend 
to the more important matter of making your 
home cheery and contented. 

The author hopes that this book may prove a 
foundation for much good housekeeping in the 
future. 



CONTENTS 

PAGE 

IMaking the Bed 3 

Tidying the Bed Room 8 

Getting Ready for Cleaning 11 

Sweeping 13 

Picking up Down Stairs 14 

Arranging Flowers 18 

Setting the Tabi.e 19 

Care op^ Cut Flowers 23 

Care of House Plants 25 

Waiting on the Table . 29 

Care op Silver 32 

Afternoon Tea 34 

The Invaud's Tray 37 

The Sick Room 39 

Washing Dishes 45 

Pots and Pans 48 

The Sink 49 

The Ice Box 51 

Care of the Stove 52 

The Grate Fire 55 

The Piazza 57 

Places for Things 59 

Washing Windows 61 

Closets and Shelves 62 

Putting Away Clothes 65 



CONTEXTS 

PAGE 

Giving Away and Throwing Away 68 

Mending 70 

Taking Out Spots 72 

Flies 75 

Preparing for Guests 76 

When You are Visiting , , . 81 

RHYMED RULES 

Things to Remember Every Day 1 

Airing Rule 2 

Dusting Rule 7 

Sweeping Rule 12 

Flower Rule 16 

Waiting Rule • .28 

Sick Room Rule , . . 38 

Dish Washing Rule 44 

Ice Box Rule 50 

Making a Fire 54 

Rule of Order 58 

Giving Away 67 

Spots 71 

Politeness 80 



THINGS TO REMEMBER EVERY DAY 

Air your room well, every day, 
Tidy it before you play; 
Always put your things away. 

Don't be late for meals or school, 
Keeping time keeps tempers cool; 
Prompt in all things, be your rule. 

Never act, when not in view. 
As you'd be ashamed to do 
If your mother looked at you. 



1 



WHEN MOTHER LETS US HELP 



AIRING RULE 



Don 't be afraid of the air and the sun ; 
Wide open windows prove days well begun. 
Sunbeams and breezes will frighten off gloom, 
But nothing can thrive in a hot stuffy room. 



Q 



WHEN MOTHER LETS US HELP 6 



KAKING THE BED 

The first thing to do when you have left your 
bed in the morning is to pull back all the bed 
clothes, under-sheet as well. Have a chair at 
the foot of the bed so that the sheets and blank- 
ets will not touch the floor. Be sure to pull 
the sheets away from under the foot board so 
that the bottom will be aired as well as the top. 
Do this carefully so as not to tear the sheet. 
Turn the mattress back, — unless it is too heavy, 
when you will have to get someone to help. Put 
the pillows on chairs or in the middle of the bed. 

When you are dressed and ready to go down to 
breakfast see that the windows are wide open. 
Hang your night gow^i over a chair in front of 
the window. If it is winter, shut the register 
and the bedroom door so that the rest of the 
house will not be chilled. 

After breakfast when your room and bed are 
thoroughly aired, shut the window, if it is cold, 
and make up the bed. Be sure that your hands 
are clean; if you have on a dark dress, it is 
neater to wear an apron. 

Put the mattress in place first. Lay the lower 
sheet over this, being careful to have it straight 
and even, with the right side uppermost and 



4 WHEN MOTHER LETS US HELP 

the end with the large hem towards the head. 
Tuck the sides and ends in neatly and tightly, 
smoothing the surface. Then lay the upper 
sheet over with the wrong side uppermost, so 
that the two right sides come together. (The 
wrong side of a sheet is the side with the hem 
turned over upon it.) The wide hem goes to- 
wards the head as before. 

It is not necessary to change both sheets every 
week. When you make the bed on Saturday 
put the under sheet in the wash, using the top 
sheet in its place, and put a fresh sheet over it. 
But the pillow cover should be changed weekly. 
On Saturday too, the bedstead should be thor- 
oughly wiped and dusted. 

Over the top sheet put the blankets ; fold the 
head-end of the sheet back over the blankets so 
that these will not touch your face, then tuck 
in sheet and blankets together. Over all lay the 
spread. This should be tucked in at the bottom 
but not at the sides. Be sure it is smooth and 
even, that it covers the blankets and that the 
sides that hang down are of the same width. 
Now shake your pillows well and lay them in 
place at the head of th0 bed. Smooth them 
carefully and if the case is large fold back the 
end that overhangs. If there are separate pil- 
low shams lay them on. Pillows should not lie 



^^ 



I 







Making the Bed 



b WHEN MOTHER LETS US HELP 

flat, but rest against the head of the bed. Hang 
your nightgown in the closet. 

Before the evening meal it is a good thing to 
** strip" the bed, especially if you have friends 
staying with you. They will be sure to appre- 
ciate the courtesy. This means, — take the 
spread and pillow sham off and fold them care- 
fully in the same places they have been folded 
before so that you will not have any new creases. 
Lay them on a chair. Turn back one comer of 
the sheet and blanket at the head of the bed. 
This is supposed to make it easier to get in. 
Fold the nightgo^vn and lay it over the turned 
corner. If it is a double bed, turn back both 
the corners at the head. 

If it is cold and there are extra blankets, lay 
these at the foot of the bed. 



WHEN MOTHER LETS US HELP 

DUSTING RULE 

Use a cloth that's soft and clean, 
Almost anything will do; 
Dust the place that its not seen, 
Just as if it were in view. 
Dust beneath, behind, around. 
Till no speck of dust is found. 




8 WHEN MOTHER LETS US HELP 

TIDYING THE BED ROOM 

When you have made your bed, hang up your 
night go^Yn and wrapper on the proper hook in 
the ek^set. If you have a shoe bag, put your 
slippers in it ; if not, stand them on the tloor of 
the closet or on a shelf. Do not leave them un- 
der the bed. If there is a wash stand in your 
room, there are probably many things to be done 
in connection with setting it to rights which you 
cannot do without help, but you ought to know 
how things should be done, for some day you 
may have to see to it. 

Empty the wash bowl and rinse this out. 
Then emj^ty the slop jar, etc. Einse them out 
and wash off the covers. Fill the water pitcher 
with clean water and wash it out two or three 
times a week. Clean the soap dish carefully 
with hot water. If there are any soiled towels 
put them in the soiled-clothes basket unless they 
are very wet. Wet towels and wash cloths must 
be hung on the towel rack to dry. See that the 
bowls are set straight. Do not ever set the 
}utcher on the floor. The bottom of it becomes 
dirty if you do and that soils the wash bowl. 

Put away the dresses worn the evening before 
and left on a chair to air overnight. Straighten 
out the things on your bureau. See that there 



WHEN MOTHER LETS US HELP 9 

is no liair left on the brush or comb, and if there 
is any, put it in a dish kept for that purpose. Do 
not throw it in the scrap basket unless wrapped 
carefully in paper. Xow take your duster, 
which may be of cheese cloth or any soft ma- 
terial, and dust the tables and chairs and bureau. 
Dust oif the pictures and be sure that they hang 
straight. It is well to have at least one window 
open while you are dusting. 

If you use candles in your room, see that they 
are long enough to burn during the next evening, 
and if the candle holders are dirty take them 
downstairs to be cleaned with the lamps. 

Make your desk tidy and dust it. Never put 
any scraps or burnt matches or odds and ends 
into the slop jar or water-closet bowl. Beside 
being untidy it is very bad for the plumbing. 




WHEN MOTHER LETS rs HELP 11 

GETTING READY FOR CLEANING 

It is very jDOSsible that you may not be allowed 
to do the actual cleaning of your own bedroom, 
but you can know how it should be done and can 
certainly help in many ways. 

First open your windows wide, then clear out 
the closets so that the shelves and corners can 
be cleaned. If the closets are not to be cleaned 
shut their doors the very first thing. It is not 
necessary to clean your closets every time the 
room is cleaned. 

The bed must be covered with a clean old 
sheet or cloth to protect it from dust during 
sweeping. Cover your bureau in the same 
way. Shut your desk and put all ornaments on 
the table, and cover them. If the room is to be 
done very thoroughly, the rugs must be taken 
out to be beaten and the floors they covered 
wiped thoroughly. All the furniture that is 
easily moved should be put out in the hall or at 
any rate in a different place from usual so that 
no corner or sj^ot in the room may be overlooked. 
If there are long window curtains, tie them up 
out of the way. Then the room is really ready 
for a good cleaning. 



12 WHEN MOTHER LETS US HELP 



SWEEPING RULE 

Hold the handle of your broom 

At the middle and the top ; 

Don't sweep dust from room to room, 

Or your work will never stop, 

Put it in a pan to burn, 

Then it never can return. 



WHEN MOTHER EETS US HELP 13 

SWEEPING 

When you sweej) a room, the object is to get it 
clean, and to get all the dust and dirt out of the 
house. So open your windows and have a dust 
pan to sweep the dirt into. Don't sweep the dust 
from one room into another; shut the door of 
the room you are cleaning. 

Hold the broom firmly with one hand high, 
and the other half way down the handle, and 
sweep away from you, with short strokes. Don't 
sweep too hard, for it does no good and is bad 
for the carpet and rugs. 

Moisten your broom a little, or better still, 
scatter wet bits of paper around, before you 
sweep. This keeps the dust from flying so 
much. In winter put snow on your rugs and 
sweep it over them. This cleans them very suc- 
cessfully. 

Hang up your broom when you are through. 
You should have one good one for the carpets 
and another for the woodwork, and a third for 
the piazza and cellar. A carpet sweeper is use- 
ful, as it wears out the rugs less than a broom. 

When you want to brush cobwebs and dust 
from ceilings and tops of doors and pictures, 
it is a good plan to tie a soft cloth around the 
broom bristles. 



14 WHEN MOTHER LETS US HELP 

'TICKING UP" DOWNSTAIRS 

It is a good thing to leave things ^'picked uj)" 
before going to bed ; but when tliis is not done, the 
first one down in the morning should get to work 
at once. 

A very good way to begin is to open a win- 
dow or two. Fresh air is always good. In 
summer, however, the windows are generally 
left open during the night to let in the cool night 
air and you will do well to shut them by nine 
o'clock in the morning and darken the rooms. 
This keeps away flies and heat. We all of us 
know how comfortable it feels to come into a 
cool dark house on a hot day. This is true of 
bedrooms as well as down stairs. 

You Avill probably find the center table in dis- 
order. Begin b}^ putting away all books which 
may have been taken out the day before. Then 
pile up magazines carefully, putting those of one 
month together, with the larger ones under- 
neath. If there are papers, pile them up neatly, 
put any pencils or pens or pads where the}" be- 
long, and throw away any odds and ends of paper 
or string that are not worth saving. 

If the table has been pushed out of place, put 
it back again and set the chairs to rights. This 
does not mean pushing them stiffly against the 



WHEN MOTHER LETS US HELP 15 

walls. Try to have a room look lived-in as well 
as tidy. Set the pictures straight and put where 
they belong any ornaments that may have tum- 
bled down or gotten disarranged. Straighten 
out the rugs, sofa covers and table covers. 

You can dust the room either before or after 
breakfast, and when you dust be sure to clean 
under and behind things as well as over them, 
and don't neglect the chairs. They need dusting 
as well as the pictures or the clock. 




16 WHEN MOTHER LETS Ub HELP 



FLOWER RULE 

Flowers and plants, like a baby, need care ; 
Wash them and feed them and give them fresh 

air. 
Let them have sun-light and plenty of room. 
Tend them with love and they'll flourish and 

bloom. 
If 3'ou neglect them for even a day, 
Soon they will fade and quite wither away. 




Arranoino- Flowers 



18 WHEN MOTHER LETS US HELP 

ARRANGING FLOWERS 

It is always pleasant to have flowers on the din- 
ing table, but do not have too many. A low bowl 
with a few flowers, or a tall vase with a single 
rose in it, is much lorettier among the dishes than 
a great bouquet, and takes up less room. When 
arranging flowers in a shallow bowl, place a piece 
of wire netting over the top and stick the stems 
through the netting. This keeps them upright 
and a little apart. 

Flowers with a strong ]3erfume are undesir- 
able on the dining table or in a bedroom. 

Long stemmed flowers should always be put in 
tall vases, and small flowers, like pansies, nastur- 
tiums, etc., in low bowls or silver dishes. Do not 
fill your vase or bowl so full that the flowers are 
crowded together. Put them in one at a time 
and stop when you have plenty of room left, so 
that each blossom will show to advantage. 

Flowers of very different kinds and colors sel- 
dom look well together, and such flowers as roses, 
lilies and tulips should be put by themselves. 
Wild flowers are different, however, and a large 
bouquet of daisies and clover, or golden-rod and 
asters, looks well if carefully arranged. 

Glass dishes are best for the table ; china, if not 
too highly colored, earthen-ware, and silver are 
attractive in the parlor and halls. 



WHEN MOTHER LETS US HELP 19 

SETTING THE TABLE 

First cover your table with a felt cover and 
then put the table cloth on. Any well-polished 
wood must be thoroughly protected from hot 
dishes, and this is the best way. 

The knives, forks and spoons should be laid at 
each place as if they Avere three sides of a square ; 
the knife on the right side, with the sharp edge 
turned in, the fork on the left side, and the spoon 
across the top. Often the spoons are brought 
in at the time they are to be used, and are not 
laid on the table beforehand. Be sure and have 
as many f orlvs and knives as will be needed for 
the food that is to be served. 

A small plate for butter and bread is placed 
at the left of the fork, with a silver knife on it. 
Do not use steel knives for bread and butter. 

Put the glass for drinking water at the right 
of the knife. 

A plate with freshly cut bread should be on 
the table, a pitcher of fresh water and a plate 
with butter and a butter knife. Do not forget 
to put on salt and pepper also. 

At breakfast you can also place a dish of fruit 
on the table, and fruit plates with finger bowls 
should be waiting when people sit down. Use 
silver knives for fruit. 



20 WHEAT MOTHER LETS US HELP 

Fresh flowers make a 23retty decoration, placed 
either in the middle or at one side of the table. 

If you want to have a bare table, or small 
breakfast cloth, and so cannot use a felt cover to 
protect the table from hot dishes, something in 
the way of a mat should be used under each hot 
plate. As these are not pretty, they must be 
covered by a doily, or by the small breakfast 
cloth. 

It is always attractive to have all the tea or 
coffee service on a tray. This should be put in 
front of your mother, or whoever serves the tea 
or coffee, and a little to the right of the server. 
Cups and saucei's are put to the left of the server 
and the spoons beside them or on the saucers. 
Sugar and cream are placed with the cups. 

Setting the table for sup]3er or lunch is much 
the same, only fruit is not put on. 

Many people do not care for butter with their 
dinner, but it is perfectly proper to have it on 
the table at all meals. 

Candles are pretty on the dinner table; and 
the best places for them, on a small table, are at 
the four corners ; in the center of the table they 
are very likely to shine in some one's eyes. 
Shades, of course, are often used, but the candles 
always seem prettier without them, and shades 
are so likely to catch on fire. 




Setting- the Table 



22 WHEN MOTHER LETS US HELP 

Napkins are placed in the middle of the square 
made by the knife, fork and spoon, and should 
be laid flat. It is no longer the custom to have 
them folded in odd shapes. 

If a bell is used to call the servant into the 
room, put this beside your mother's place. 

If there is to be a jelly with the meat, it can 
be on the table from the beginning of dinner, in 
some pretty dish. 

One important thing, in setting an attractive 
table, is to have the dishes go well together and 
be of the same general color and shape. Another 
is to set them where they will balance each other. 
Do not put the bread and butter and jelly on one 
side of the table and nothing on the other side. 

At a formal dinner or lunch, have nuts and 
candies in little dishes, one dish for each person. 
A square piece of bread, about as large as a vis- 
iting card, and quite thick, or a roll, can be put 
at each place, folded into the napkin; or better 
still, placed on the bread-and-butter plate. 

In a good many houses, a clean napkin is laid 
in front of the carver, so that the table cloth will 
be protected, in ease of accidents in carving. 

Wine glasses are put beside the water glass. 

Always be careful to have your cups and 
saucers match, and have as few different kinds 
of china on the table as possible. 



WHEN MOTHER LETS US HELP 23 

CARE OF CUT FLOWERS 

When a buneli of flowers comes to the house, or 
you have brought in wild flowers from the fields, 
the first thing to do is to cut off a bit from the 
end of each stem with a sharp pair of scissors; 
this new sharp cut will let them drink up water 
more easily. 

If the flowers seem faded at all, put them into 
fresh, cool water, u]3 to their noses, so that they 
may have a drink and a bath as well. When 
they are thoroughly freshened up, arrange them 
in their vases, but do not crowd them so that each 
cannot get a good share of water. 

Always fill your vases and bowls full of water, 
and change this every day if possible. The wa- 
ter keeps fresh longer if all leaves are stripped 
from that part of the stem which is below the sur- 
face. 

Flowers should be put in a cool place at night, 
not left in the dining room or bedroom. They 
need fresh air and a change. Unfortunately, no 
flowers or plants thrive very well in gas-lighted 
houses. 

If flowers seem inclined to droop on the second 
day, cut their stems again. If they have been 
nipped by the frost, keep them in cold water in 
a cold room for a while. Sometimes they will 



24 AVHEX MOTHER LETS IIS HELP 

freshen up again. Never put them at once in a 
-warm place. 

It is well to keep a pair of scissors especially 
for cutting flowers, and be sure to wipe them 
carefully after using them. 

Do not throw stems into the sink or bathroom 
bowl. Spread a new^spaper on the table before 
you begin your work, and gather up the bits of 
stem, leaves, and faded blossoms in this. They 
can then be burned all together in the Are. 



WHEN MOTHER LETS US HELP 25 

CARE OF HOUSE PLANTS 

Potted plants must often take the place of cut 
flowers in winter. These need as much care but 
are treated somewhat differently. They do not 
require as much water, for they have earth as 
well to live on. 

Plants that grow from bulbs, such as tulips, 
narcissus, hyacinths, cyclamen, do better if they 
are not watered from above. Let them stand in 
the bathtub or in a pan over night, with the water 
reaching half way up their pots; the roots will 
then suck up the water from below and the plant 
will be thoroughly refreshed and bathed. 

A plant should be allowed to get dry between 
waterings. Its roots become mouldy if always 
wet. 

Ferns and palms should be w^ell watered from 
above and all large-leaved ones should be w^ashed 
twice a week with a soft cloth dipped in warm 
water ; and remember that flowering plants need 
a good deal of sun, but ferns very little. 

Do not put a flowering plant into too large a 
pot; this encourages a growth of roots rather 
than of flowers. Every year or so plants should 
be repotted and the earth changed, although with 
a big plant this is not always possible. Be sure 
that your pot or bowl has a hole in the bottom of 



26 WHEN MOTHER LETS US HELP 

it to insure good drainage, and if the earth be- 
comes caked or hard and dry, break it up with a 
knife or pointed stick before you water it. 

Give the plants as much fresh air as you can, 
and when the weather is warm enough, put them 
out on the stooj) or on a window-sill for a part of 
each day. If it is rainy, so much the better, — 
let them have a good rain bath, which is after all 
the best way to water them. 





The Invalid's Tray 



28 WHEN MOTHER LETS US HELP 



WAITING RULE 

Where there's a choice, when you're j^assing a 

dish, 
Ask, at the left, what a person may wish: 
When the food's served and they take what they 

get, 
Down from the right plates are carefully set. 



AVHEX MOTHER LETS US HELP 29 

WAITING ON THE TABLE 

Maybe some time your mother will want you 
to wait on the table, rather than just help to 
pass things. 

Try to move about as q^uietly as possible, and 
not knock things over. If you are passing a 
dish from w^hich people are to help themselves, 
take it to the left of the person to be served ; but 
if you are simply passing a plate upon which 
food has already been served, go to the right 
hand of the person and set the plate down in 
front of him. 

At breakfast, your mother probably makes the 
tea or coffee herself, at the table; so the tea or 
coft'ee service should be put in front of her. 
The other things to be served, such as cereal, or 
hash or eggs, should be put in front of your 
father, unless he has to hurry away, when your 
older sister may do the serving. 

Watch people's plates to see when they are 
empty. Then either pass more food, or take 
away the plates. 

Keep the glasses filled with water, and pass 
the bread and butter frequently. 

When you are taking away soiled plates and 
dishes, take only one at a time, unless you have 
a tray. In this case, you may put a few plates 



30 WHEN MOTHER LETS US HELP 

of the same sort on top of each other, but never 
very many. 

In clearing the table for another course, first 
take off such food as will not be wanted later; 
then soiled dishes and silver, and last, such clean 
dishes as will not be used. 

Never scrape food off one dirty plate on to 
another, when clearing the table. 

When clearing the table for dessert at dinner 
or lunch, you should remove everything but the 
glasses and such silver as will he needed. Brush 
off the crumbs onto a plate with a clean napkin. 

Be very careful not to spill anything, and if 
you do, wipe up the spot quickh^, with a clean, 
moist cloth. Never use a table napkin. 

When you finally clear off the table after a 
meal is over, put things on a tray, taking first 
the food, then soiled dishes and last the clean 
things which you can put away at once. 

Never leave butter or milk standing in the din- 
ing room or kitchen. Both spoil very quickly 
and absorb odors and taste of things near them. 

Don't brush the crumbs onto the floor. Brush 
them onto a tray. If any crumbs have fallen 
on the floor, clean them up before you leave the 
dining room. 

Never throw scraps of food to the dog or cat 



WHEN MOTHER LETS US HELP 31 

while you are Availing on the table, and don't 
help yourself to anything as you pass it. 

Serve your mother first, then whoever sits at 
her right, and so on round the table. There are 
several reasons for this ; one is, that the hostess 
is supposed to know best which knife and fork, 
etc., to use; another reason is, that some things 
are hard to help yourself to, if you are the first 
one served. 

In pouring out wine, however, always put a 
little in your father's glass first, and then fill the 
glass of the guest of honor, and so round the 
table, filling up your father's glass at the end. 

This is an old custom and dates back to the 
time when guests were afraid they might be 
poisoned, and wanted their host to share the 
danger. 




32 WHEN" MOTHER LETS US HELP 

CARE OF SILVER 

Once a week you ought to polish the silver, 
though there are people who simply wash it with 
white soap and rub it well. 

It is the rubbing after all that counts ; but if 
silver has once been polished, you will have to 
use something beside soap. 

On the day set apart for this work, collect all 
your silver ; see that it is clean, and then rub on 
it with a soft cloth some electro silicon or any 
one of the good silver polishes ; you can get them 
at the grocer's or jeweler's. 

Next take a clean cloth and polish the pieces 
and rub them with a piece of chamois. 

Last of all, wash them carefully with hot wa- 
ter. Then rub them dry. Be very sure that 
none of the powder or polish which you used is 
sticking to the silver. This is especially import- 
ant with table silver. 

Sometimes an old tooth brush is a great help 
in getting the silver clean. 

If you have an old pair of gloves you can weai*, 
they will save your hands and nails from getting 
dirty. or burned with the hot water. 




Cleaninj:>' Silver 



34 WHEN MOTHER LETS US HELP 

AFTERNOON TEA 

It is always polite to offer your friends tea 
if they come to see you in the afternoon. It is 
so easy to get it ready and so pleasant for your 
friends. 

The hot water kettle should stand on a tray or 
cloth which will prevent any possible accidents 
to the table underneath. Before you bring it 
in be sure that there is alcohol in the little lamp 
under the kettle. 

If your guests are unexpected or if your 
mother wants to make things as simple as pos- 
sible, she will undoubtedly use a tea ball instead 
of making tea in the tea pot. Tea is never as 
good when made by the cook in the kitchen and 
brought in already made. On your table you 
will want a small glass or china dish with slices 
of lemon on it, a bowl of sugar, and a little 
pitcher of cream or milk ; also a plate covered by 
a napkin or doily, with crackers or cookies or 
thin slices of bread and butter upon it, tea cups 
and spoons, a china or silver dish to hold the tea 
ball, and a bowl in which you can rinse out the 
cups. 

Before making your tea pour a little hot water 
into each cup, to get it warm. Always ask how 
your guests like their tea, how much sugar, 




A Teaparty 



36 WHEN MOTHER LETS US HELP 

ereain or lemon, or liow weak or strong, and be 
careful to give the right cup to the right person. 

Then pass whatever you have to eat. Watch 
to see when the cups are empty and ask j^our 
friends if they will have more ; if this is refused, 
take away the empty cup. 

If you are preparing for exj^ected guests, or a 
little party, you should have a few flowers on 
the table, cakes and sandwiches, and perhaps 
some candy. Plates and napkins or finger- 
doilies should be offered. If the cakes are very 
soft, forks should be provided. 

If you use a tea pot and make the tea on the 
table, have an extra pot on hand so that you can 
pour the tea off the grounds when it has stood 
long enough. The hot water kettle should be 
placed on the table where it can be easily reached, 
the cups at the left side and the spoons beside 
them. On the other side put your cream, sugar, 
etc., the tea pot or tea ball. Back of the kettle 
put the plates, sandwiches, etc. The flowers, if 
you have them, are prettiest in the middle. A 
few high flowers look best. Do not have any- 
thing on the tea table that is not necessary, 
and avoid crowding things. If you have not 
room for all the things mentioned, put some of 
them on another table, on a trav. 



whp:x :mother lets us help 37 

THE INVALID'S TRAY 

Put a clean cloth or napkin on your tray and 
i f the cloth is too large tuck the corners under. 

If there is more than one course to be taken 
up to the sickroom, do not put all the food on at 
once, but take a few dishes at a time so that the 
food will keep hot and the tray not look crowded. 
Invalids must be tempted to eat, and often 
the sight of a great deal of food or a crowded 
tray destroys what little appetite they may have. 

Try to have the dishes of the same set so that 
they will look well together. On every tray 
there should be a clean napkin, enough knives, 
forks and spoons, salt and pepj^er, butter and 
sugar, and a glass of water. A sick person often 
would rather go without something she wants 
than have to send for things not on the tray. 

Be careful not to spill anything on the way; 
and if the tea or coif ee should run over into the 
saucer, empty it before carrying in the tray. 

Hot water plates keep food warm and are very 
satisfactory. They can be bought at any of the 
large china stores. Things that are meant to be 
hot should be very hot and cold things quite cold. 
Luke-warm things are always unpleasant. 

Take the tray away as soon as your invalid 
has finished eating. 



38 



WHEN MOTHER LETS US HELP 



SICK ROOM RULE 



In the room where some one's ill, 
Try to keep it calm and still ; 
Don't move noisily or sit 
On the bed, or joggle it. 
Don't ask questions. Never saj^ 
'^You are not so well to-day"; 
Do things promptly when you're told ; 
Never argue, never scold; 
Don't look gloomy; never stay 
Till folks wish you'd go away. 




WHE>7 MOTHER LETS TS HELP 39 

THE SICK ROOM 

Whenever you go into a room where some 
one is sick try to act as naturally as possible, but 
more important still, try to move about quietly. 
Do not knock things over and do not hit against 
the bed or sit on it. Stay only a short time, talk 
of pleasant things and never get into a discus- 
sion with the sick person or anyone else in the 
room. 

If the room is darkened, don't pull up the 
shades unless asked to do so, and if you bring in 
a light or make a light in the room, leave it 
dimmed for a while. Do not put a lamp where 
the direct light will shine in the sick person's 
eyes. 

If the room is to be aired open the windows 
wide for a few moments, but cover the invalid 
well first. If it is very close and warm you can 
get a good current of air by swinging the door 
rapidly to and fro, but be careful not to let it 
slam. A good way to i>YeYent this from hap- 
pening in a sick room is to tie a handkerchief 
or cloth around the front of the door, fastening 
an end to each of the door handles. 

Do not keep asking the sick person how she 
feels, and never ask her what her sickness is. If 
it is your mother try not to ask her questions 



40 WHEX MOTHER LETS US HELP 

about household matters and do not tell her of 
little things that have gone wrong. Keep the 
younger children out of the room (if you have 
brothers and sisters) unless they are especially 
asked for, and keep them from being noisy on 
the stairs and in the hall. Do not let them play 
in the room directly overhead and if you hap- 
23en to have that room, be careful not to drop 
your shoes or anything heavy. 

If you are old enough to give medicines or 
for any reason have to do so, be sure to read 
the directions on the outside of the bottle three 
times before you give the dose. Follow the di- 
rections and go very slowly. Never give medi- 
cines in the dark. If it is necessary to have the 
room dark, take the bottle into another room 
and make up the proper dose there. If medi- 
cine has been prepared and left for you to give, 
be sure you know exactly where it is and what 
it looks like before you are left in charge. Med- 
icines cannot be marked too carefully. 

When you have given the medicine, wash out 
the glass and spoon at once and wash your hands, 
so that if there has been any j^oison in the mix- 
ture you will run no risk. You might easily get 
some on your hands and without thinking touch 
them to your lips. 

It is very restful to a person lying in bed to 



41 




The Sick Room 



42 WHEN MOTHER LETS US HELP 

have a pillow put under the knees; and if the 
invalid's head is hot, a hot water bag, filled half 
full of cold water makes a very pleasant and 
cooling thing to put under the head. 
Never leave flowers in a sick room over night. 




Washing Dishes 



44 WHEN MOTHER LETS US HELi' 



DISH WASHING RULE 

Glass and dainty china first 
In ivarm water are immersed; 
Next the silver, — this won't break, 
So hot water you can take. 
Use it hot for all the rest. 
Dishes, plates that aren't the best. 
Pots and pans and knives come last, 
Scour them well and dry them fast. 



WHEN MOTHER LETS US HELP 45 

WASHING DISHES 

It is very important to remember that differ- 
ent kinds of dishes, like different kinds of peo- 
ple, have to be treated in different ways. 

Before you begin to wash your dishes, see that 
you have enough hot water, soap, dish rags, 
soft towels for glass and rough crash towels. 

It is a good thing, too, to have some small 
shot or clean sand in a jar, to help wash the 
pitchers and tall vases. 

Start by scraping off all the remnants of food 
from the dishes and emptying the glasses and 
cups. Don't let bits of food or scrapings fall 
into the sink. You should have a pail for the 
scraps that are not burnable. 

The next step is to rinse out with cold water 
any glasses or cups or pitchers that have had 
milk or cream in them. This makes them easier 
to clean. Indeed, it is always w^ell to put cold 
Avater into an empty glass that has contained 
milk. It is very hard to clean such glasses 
properly, if they have stood for a while without 
cold water in them. 

Put your dish pan in the sink, or on a table 
right by the sink ; fill it half full of warm water, 
and then shake your soai3 in it. Do not leave 



46 WHEX MOTHER LETS US HELP 

the soap in the water, but take it out when there 
is plenty of suds. 

Wash your glass first, using a dish rag, and 
then your best china cups and dishes, etc. Do 
not use hot water or they will crack. Be sure 
that each dish is clean before you wipe it, and 
have plenty of glass towels so that you can dry 
everything thoroughly. 

Take fresh water, and hotter, for your other 
dishes ; a teaspoonf ul of ammonia is a good ad- 
dition to the water, beside the soap. 

Alwa3^s rinse off the dishes with clean, warm 
water, before drying; and change the water in 
the dish pan as often as it gets dirty. You can- 
not get dishes clean with dirty water. 

Do not put too many dishes in your pan at 
one time. It is no saving of time in the end, and 
you are so likely to chip or crack the china and 
glass and scratch the silver. Wash the same 
kind of dishes together, for the same reason, and 
so that the sets w^ill come together when you 
put them away. 

Dry everything but the glass and fine china 
with your coarse towels and have a table or tray 
ready to put the clean things on, so that they 
will not knock against the dirty things or be 
spattered while you are washing. 

N6ver put the ivory handles of your dinner 



WHEN MOTHER LETS US HELP 47 

knives into hot water; it spoils them. Steel 
knives should be scoured with Bon Ami, never 
with sapolio. 

You cannot clean a tall vase well with a dish 
rag. Fill it partly full of warm, soapy water 
and put in some clean sand or shot. Now shake 
it well and you will be surprised to see how clean 
it gets. 



48 AVHEX MOTHER LETS ITS HELP 

POTS AND PANS 

Pots and pans are greasy things to deal with, 
and some one else could better attend to them. 
But if it is your duty to scour them, do it with 
a stiff brush; a common wire sink brush is a 
very good thing to use. Take about one tea- 
spoonful of washing soda to one pint of hot wa- 
ter to clean them with, scrub them well, and 
rinse out and dry them carefully. Put them 
at the back of the stove for a few minutes, to 
dry them thoroughly. Pans which are only used 
for cake or bread, if they are carefvdly scraped 
and wiped, need not be washed very often. 

If you have to clean a meat chopper, first put 
in a piece of stale bread and let it go through the 
chopper. This carries away the grease and 
makes the chopper easier to clean. 




WHKX MOTHER LETS US HELP 49 

THE SINK 

The kitchen sink, like the rest of the phmib- 
ing, must be Ivept spotless and neat; never u.se 
it as a 23lace to throw rubbish and scraps of 
food. 

To take proper care of your sink, it is a good 
plan to have a bit of wire netting to put over the 
hole where the water flows out. This catches 
any bits of food that may come from your dish 
washing. Use a sink brush to brush the scraps 
together ; you can burn these or put them in the 
garbage pail. 

When any greasy water has gone through the 
sink, pour after it some boiling water with a 
little washing soda dissolved in it, to soften the 
grease. 

The sink should be scrubbed with sapolio, 
whenever it is dirty. 

Be sure to keep the w^ater faucets clean and 
bright; they should be polished with some suit- 
able metal polish. 



50 



WHEN MOTHER LETS US HELP 



ICE BOX RULE 

Keep your ice box clean and neat, 
For it holds the things you eat; 
Milk and butter, to be nice, 
Must be kept against the ice; 
As they quickly spoil and smell, 
You must have them covered well ; 
Fruit and vegetables should go 
With the meat, on shelves below. 



4> 




WHEN MOTHER LETS US HELP 51 

THE ICE BOX 

It is not probable that you will be allowed to 
scrub the ice box yourself, but it should be done 
thoroughly twice a week. Everything, includ- 
ing the ice, must be taken out, and the inside of 
the box cleaned carefully with cool water and 
soda. The washing soda should be dissolved in 
a little boiling water first. 

Boiling water should be poured down the drain 
pipe, but not used otherwise. It seems to make 
the ice box smell. 

When you start to put the things back, remem- 
ber that nothing but milk and butter should be 
kept in the compartment with the ice. Milk 
must be cared for particularly, as it spoils very 
quickly and easily absorbs the smells of other 
food. 

See that the place where your milk is kept 
is always below 50 degrees Fahrenheit in tem- 
perature. 

Never put handsome china or silver into the 
ice box. If you have meat or pudding to keep 
there, put it in bowls or kitchen dishes. 



02 AVHEX MOTHER LETS I^S HELP 

THE CARE OF THE STOVE 

Probably you will not have to make the 
kitchen fire ; but there are a few things for you 
to remember about the stove. 

You cannot get a clear fire or a hot oven in a 
dirty stove. 

It is much easier and more economical to 
watch the fire and add a little coal from time to 
time, instead of letting the fire get so low that 
you practically have to make a new one, two or 
three times a day. 

A little salt thrown on the fire will sometimes 
brighten it up, if yovi find that it has very nearly 
gone out. Many people never let their kitchen 
fires go out, even at night, except in very hot 
weather; this saves kindling wood and a good 
deal of trouble, and it really does not cost any 
more in the end. 

To do this, shake the fire down, in the evening, 
put on a lot of coal and open the lower opening 
or draft until the coal has caught. Then shut 
everything, and leave it for the night. 

Opening the lower drafts in a stove or fur- 
nace brightens the fire and makes it hotter; 
opening the top draft, cools it. 

When you are cooking, try not to drop grease 
or milk or food of anv sort on the stove. It 



WHEN MOTHER LETS US HELP 53 

isn't pleasant to go into a kitclien and see a dirty, 
greasy stove. It should be kept clean and black, 
and polished on the outside, like a good pair of 
shoes ; and clean inside also. You have to clean 
it when the fire is very low or entirely out. 

Some people say a damp newspaper is the best 
thing for stove cleaning. 

A stove full of ashes will not heat properly, 
and if your oven will not get hot, send for a 
plumber to clean the range thoroughly. 




54 



WHEN MOTHER LETS US HELP 



MAKING A FIRE 



Fires, to burn well, need plenty of air, 
80 build up your wood and your paper with care ; 
Leave lots of cracks for the air to come through ; 
And never put oil on, whatever you do. 




WHEN MOTHER LETS US HELP 55 

THE GRATE EIRE 

A wood fire is easier to make if a good bed 
of ashes has been left beneath it, in the grate. 

Take some newspaper, one sheet should be 
enough, and crush it loosely together. Do not 
try to light a fire with a folded paper, for you 
won't succeed. 

Lay one large stick flat and far back in the 
fire-place, for a 'M)ack log." Against this lay 
the crumpled paper. Then make a sort of tent 
with your kindling wood, standing it against the 
paper, far apart at the bottom and close touch- 
ing on top. 

Kindling wood should be small and dry. Old 
wooden boxes, chopped up, are perfectly satis- 
factory. 

Lay your larger pieces of wood on top, care- 
fully, so as to avoid crushing kindling and paper 
into a flat mass. Three pieces are best, two side 
by side and one on top. Have them touch but 
not lie so close together that there is no air space 
in between. The back-log will help support 
them. 

Sometimes when a fire will not burn well, a 
piece of lighted paper placed on top, will help ; 
or blow the fire at the bottom, with a pair of 
bellows. 



56 WHEN MOTHER LETS US HELP 

Never light a fire with kerosene — use plenty 
of kindlings. 

Don't try to make a fire burn by kicking it. 
It is dangerous, and besides, you can coax a fire 
better than you can force it. 

Sometimes the chimney will not draw well be- 
cause it needs cleaning. Then send for the 
chimney sweep. 

Sometimes the soot in a dirty chimney will 
catch fire. If you live in a stone house, this is 
not very serious. Put something up in front of 
the fire-place to protect your room — something 
that will not catch fire, — and pour table salt 
down the chimney from the roof. 



WHEX MOTHER LETS US HELP 57 

THE PIAZZA 

If you live in the country, your piazza is one 
of the most important places to keep in order. 
Nothing makes a house look so untidy as a dirty 
piazza. 

Every day this should be swept, and once a 
week, at least, it should be thoroughly washed 
and swept afterwards. It is great fun to use 
the hose to wash it. 

If anything is spilled on the piazza, wash the 
spot off at once. 

It is almost impossible to keep a piazza look- 
ing neat if you have a dog ; the only thing to do 
is to try your best. 

In winter, sweep the new-fallen snow before it 
has time to freeze. This makes the sweeping 
much easier, otherwise you will have to use hot 
water or rock salt to melt it, or wait for the sun. 
The piazza chairs and rugs should receive as 
much care as the house furniture. Sometimes 
the chairs are washal)le, which makes it easier. 

The hammocks should be taken dowai when it 
rains, unless your piazza is enclosed. 

A brush with a long handle is a great help 
when you have no hose. You can then reach up 
to clean the tops of the doors and the piazza roof. 



58 WHEN MOTHER LETS US HELP 



RULE OF ORDER 



Choose places for things where they always 

can stay; 
When they've been used put them neatly away, 
Then you will know where they are the next day. 



WHEN MOTHER LETS US HELP 59 

PLACES FOR THINGS 

When you know the place where a thing be- 
longs, you are much more likely to put that 
thing back ; and then you are much more likely 
to find it again, when you want it. There are 
certain things that seem to belong together, and, 
of course, they ought to be kept together. 

A good place for the match box is with the 
candle stick or gas jet; you can tie it on, or, in 
the case of the gas, fasten it directly below, on 
the wall. 

Every household ought to have two stout bags, 
in which to keep bits of old dresses, linen and so 
forth; one bag for rags and one for nicer bits. 
Pieces of the same goods should be j)inned neatly 
together, and woolen pieces wrapt in newspaper. 
These bags can be kept in the hall closet, or the 
attic. 

Save good pieces of string and large untorn 
pieces of wrapping paper. Keep them together 
in a large box, in some closet. Tissue paper you 
can always use for packing or polishing, even 
if it is crumpled, so keep that. Untorn news- 
papers are useful when packing away clothes 
for the winter; keep a few of these with the 
other papers. 

Have a drawer, or cupboard, in which you 



60 AVHEX MOTHER LETS US HELP 

keep your games, and don't use it for an^^thing 
else, even if the games do not fill it. 

One reason things very easily get out of order 
is because one often keeps too many kinds of 
things in one place. 

Keep your medicines and some clean bits of 
linen on a shelf, or in a cabinet in the bath room. 
It is a good plan to have several good sized 
glass stoppered bottles always on hand, for com- 
mon remedies. Label them neatly and have 
them filled when they are empty, — things no 
household should be without, such as witch hazel, 
castor oil, pure alcohol, listerine and so forth. 

In your own room, keep your writing materi- 
als neatly on your desk. 

Don't let your bureau drawers get into dis- 
order. Keej) your underclothes in neat piles 
in the drawers and use the top drawer for rib- 
bons, collars and little things for your toilet. 
Don't have the top of your bureau covered with 
a lot of fuss}^ things. The fewer things on a 
bureau the better. Your comb and brush, nail 
file, scissors, etc., pin cushion and possibly a 
couple of photographs are enough. 



WHEN MOTHER LETS US HELP 



(51 



WASHING WINDOWS 



Spots will get on windows, even on the inside, 
and must be cleaned. A dirty window is as bad 
as dirty linen; though sometimes, in winter, it 
is hard to wash them on the outside. 

Never use soap on the cloth with which you 
wash your window. Bon Ami is a very good 
thing to use and is easy to get. It is a powder 
which you put on a moist cloth. 

Rub it on the windows and then leave them a 
while to diy. 

After a few minutes wipe them carefully with 
a clean cloth and finally polish them with tissue 
paper. 

In summer, hot water with a little ammonia 
is a good thing to use. Wash the windows with 
it and dry and polish them as you did when using 
Bon Ami. 




62 WHEN MOTHER LETS US HELP 

CLOSETS AND SHELVES 

It is very easy to get into the habit of think- 
ing that because a closet lias doors to shut, it 
doesn't matter whether you keep it tidy or not. 

But how unpleasant it is to open a door and 
find a heap of shoes and clothes all piled up in 
disorder; or the shelves dusty and dirt in the 
corners. 

Before you put anything at all in your closet, 
see that it is clean ; then cut out pieces of paper 
to fit, and lay them on the shelves. You should 
get white paper for dress closets and bathroom 
shelves. In the kitchen, brown paper will do. 
Some people like white table oilcloth for kitchen 
use, for the shelves as well as tables. 

Pantry shelves are for table china and glass. 
Kitchen shelves are for kitchen china, pots and 
pans, etc. Try to arrange things so that they 
will look nice, and put together the kinds of 
things that belong together ; spices in one place, 
sets of dishes together, cups in their proper 
saucers, pots with their own covers. Then when 
anyone is in a hurry to get a dish, she need not 
have a long hunt for it. 

On your own closet shelf you can keep your 
hats, or if you have a broad shelf, you can use 
it for your summer dresses. 




Closets and Shelves 



64 WHEN MOTHER LETS US HELP 

Thin dress skirts must be kept lying flat, not 
hung up. 

Hang your waists and coats on clothes hang- 
ers. Every closet should have a pole to use for 
clothes hangers, they take up so much less room 
this way. It can be fastened fairly high up in 
your closet and go from one side to the other. 
You can cover your best light waists with a 
square of thin muslin to keep them from getting 
dusty; make a button hole in the center of the 
square and stick the hook end of your clothes- 
hanger through this ; the muslin will then hang 
down all around the waist. 

Shoes can be put in shoe bags, hanging on the 
door, or placed in pairs neatly, at one end of the 
closet floor. It is better to have a special place 
for rubbers in the downstairs hall closet. 

A camphor or cedar closet is a very convenient 
thing to have, in case you have a closet to spare. 
Here you can put away all the things that have 
to be protected from moths, etc. The closet gets 
to smelling so camphory that not even the tough- 
est moth would go near it. 



WHEN MOTHER LETS US HELP 65 

PUTTING AWAY CLOTHES 

Good housekeepers have a busy time twice a 
year putting away clothes. This is especially 
necessary in the spring, for then any woolen 
things left unprotected in closets or drawers are 
sure to be eaten by moths. 

Clothes, before they are put away, should be 
hung out in the air and sun for a day or so and 
then beaten or brushed. Spots must be removed 
and the pockets cleaned out. Then fold the 
things carefully and lay all woolen things or furs 
or feathers in newspaper and put in plenty of 
camphor or moth balls. There is a very good 
preparation of cedar and camphor which leaves 
no unpleasant smell and is therefore good to use. 
Be generous with your newspaper and leave no 
unprotected corners. Tie up the packages and 
glue the edges of the paper. Mark each one 
carefully. 

If you have a garret with trunks or drawers 
in it, this is a good place to keep your winter 
things; otherwise the things belonging to each 
room can be stored away on shelves of the ad- 
joining closet. 

Always mend things before putting away, and 
have them clean. Summer things may be put 
away *^ rough dry," that is, without being ironed. 



66 



WHEN MOTHER LETS US HELP 



Suimiier garments do not need to be done up in 
paper but should be laid in trunks or di'awers, 
out of reach of the dust. 

It is a good thing to write on a piece of paper 
Avhich trunks or drawers contain your various 
clothes, so that you may find them easily when 
you want them. Then do not lose the piece of 
paper ! 




WHEN MOTHER LETS US HELP 67 



GIVING AWAY 

When YOU give away, be sure 
That the gift is whole and mended; 
Gifts will never help the poor 
Where no trouble is expended. 

Never give away in spring 

Clothes which can't be worn till fall; 

If folks cannot use the thing 

You had best not give at all. 



68 WHEN MOTHER LETS US HELP 

GIVING AWAY AND THROWING AWAY 

Don't get into the habit of keeping every- 
thing. When you have kept a thing a long 
while, you almost always grow so fond of it that 
you do not want to part with it. Make it a rule 
to give away, or throw away, the things you are 
not likely to need again. If you are tired of 
some toy or book or dress, don't tuck it away 
in the back of a drawer or closet, but give it to 
some one you think will enjoy it. There are 
always poor children who would like any toys 
you have outgrown, and the clothes will surely 
be very useful to some one, if you have not kept 
them too long. Of course you must ask your 
mother before giving away clothes. 

It is a good plan to have a general * booking 
over" once in a while, and get rid of all your 
needless old treasures and trash. 

Don't be afraid to throw things away. The 
ash-men may find a treasure once in a while in 
the rubbish heap, and be very grateful to you 
for not having kept it yourself. 

When you give anything away, try to have it 
look as neat as possible. If your old coat or 
dress has a tear or a spot, mend and clean it as 
well as you can. Poor people have less time 
than you to keep their clothes in order. 



WHEN MOTHER LETS US HELP 69 

Don't give anything away that is very soiled 
or hopelessly broken. 

When you have decided what you want to give 
away, be sure you find the right person to whom 
you can give them. Don't send a heavy winter 
coat in a missionary box to the South, and don't 
send toys to a poor old man without any chil- 
dren. 

Don't give away your spring clothes in the 
fall and your winter things in svnnmer. It is a 
little more trouble, but much better to wait until 
the proper season of the year. 

Don't keep all your letters; a few now and 
then are really worth preserving, but most let- 
ters should be thrown away when answered. 



70 WHEN MOTHER LETS US HELP 

MENDING 

The time to mend clothes is either just before 
or just after they are washed. If there is a big 
tear or rip in a soiled garment, it is often made 
worse in the wash, and should be mended first. 
But usually it is more pleasant to mend clean 
things. 

When the clean clothes come up from the wash 
look them over carefully and put to one side 
everything that needs attention. Put the other 
things away at once. 

Never try to darn stockings or sew anything 
black at night. 

It saves time to sew buttons on with a double 
thread, and if you sew them over a pin or bit of 
a match you can make a neater piece of work, for 
then you can sew the bvitton tight, draw out the 
match, and have the button loose enough to make 
buttoning easy. 

When you darn stockings do not pull the darn- 
ing cotton tight, for it shrinks in the wash more 
than the stocking itself. 

Always have thread which matches the thing 
you are sewing, and above all, never darn a black 
stocking with white thread ! It is a good rule to 
use as small a needle as possible and not very 
heavy thread. No. 60 cotton is a useful size for 



WHEX MOTHER LETS US HELP 71 

most common white mending, and be sure that 
your thread is not too long. As a general thing 
one does not use black cotton thread, but black 
silk, for mending dark clothes. 

Always use a thimble and don't take too long 
stitches. 



SPOTS 



Take out spots before they're dry; 
If you wait till by and by 
You will have to take more pains; 
Sometimes, too, the spot remains. 



72 WHEN MOTHER LETS US HELP 

TAKING OUT SPOTS 

The best time to get out a spot is when you 
first see it. Most spots will come out easily if 
YOU do not let them dry in. 

In taking out spots, remember that many 
remedies can be used on white materials that 
would take the color out of colored goods. 

The commonest kind of a spot is an ink spot. 
If you spill any ink on a white dress or cloth, 
there are two ways to take it out, if you start 
right away before the spot dries. 

One way is to hold the part of the cloth that 
has the spot in it tightly over a bowl and get 
some one to pour boiling water over it. This is 
better than dipping the whole cloth in hot water, 
as that would make the spot spread. 

Another thing you can do is to wash out the 
spot with a paste of lemon juice and salt. In- 
deed it is always a good plan to put a little salt 
on any fresh ink stain. It takes up the ink. If 
the spot is small you can often take it out with 
blotting paper. Use milk instead of lemon in 
taking stains out of colored cloth — making a 
paste with the salt and rubbing it well. 

Grass stains are another common cause for 
sorrow. When they are on colored cloth, use a 
little pure alcohol and rub the spot from the 



WHEN MOTHER LETS US HELP 73 

outside to the inside with a cloth. Grass stains 
will usually come out of white goods when they 
are boiled in the wash. 

Paint stains are hard to get out successfully. 
The best advice is not to get them in. But if you 
have done so, try to get them out with a rag 
dipped in turpentine, benzene or kerosene. 
The trouble with all of these things is that un- 
less you use them carefully they are almost as 
bad as the paint. They are very apt to leave 
a circle in the cloth. Also you have to be care- 
ful because they catch fire easily. 

Old paint stains can be taken out in this way. 
Soak the spot in sweet oil for a short time — then 
dip it in chloroform and wash it with your 
hands — then take a cloth dipped in chloroform 
and rub out the stain. Some one must help you 
do this as chloroform should never be handled 
by children. It is very dangerous. 

Iron rust can generally be gotten out with 
lemon juice and salt. Soak the spotted cloth 
well and put it in the sun for a while. Do this 
again and rub it hard. The stain will be pretty 
sure to come out. 

If you drop some wax on your clothes ask 
some one to iron the spot on a piece of blotting 
paper. Grease spots can be taken out in much 
the same way. Put the spotty cloth between 



74 WHEN MOTHER LETS US HELP 

sheets of common wrapping paper and iron it. 

Fruit stains require some patience to take out. 
Pour boiling water over a white cloth that has 
just had fruit juice or tea spilled on it. If this 
is not successful, be very rash and try whiskey. 
Another way is to tie up some cream of tartar in 
the spot, put the cloth in a pot of cold water and 
let it come to a boil. Where hot water would 
injure the colors of colored goods, of course you 
cannot use this method. Try a little milk and 
salt. Soak the spot well for some time, even 
until the milk gets sour. If the sour milk hurts 
the color, use water with a very little ammonia — 
it generally tells on the bottle how much to use. 

In order to find out whether something will 
hurt the color of a dress, rub a little on one of 
the seams in the inside. 

Alcohol or ammonia and water are very good 
things for taking dirt spots out of cloth, spots 
that came without your knowing it ! Also when 
the cat has tipped over the fly paper, alco- 
hol will remove the stain. When you have 
taken a sjoot out of cloth, let it air for a while if 
you can. A great many spot remedies have 
most unpleasant smells. 

One thing more — lemon juice is a fine thing 
for taking fruit stains oif your hands and from 
under your finger nails. 



WHEN MOTHER LETS US HELP 75 

FLIES 

The best way to be free of flies is not to let 
them into the house in the first place. Keep 
things clean, screen the doors and windows, and 
see that the screens are in place and kept shut. 

But if flies get in you must start at once to 
destroy them. There are several kinds of **fly 
ribbon" on the market now which are much bet- 
ter than the old-fashioned sticky fly-paper. 
Hang these ribbons in a light place and darken 
the rest of the room. Flies always go to the 
light; they are also attracted b}^ smells; and if 
you put some bits of food with a decided odor 
near your fly ribbons the traps will be complete. 

You can sometimes get rid of flies by darken- 
ing a room and leaving one window open. Then 
with cloths and newspapers drive the flies to- 
ward the open window. 

Do not leave crumbs or bits of food or faded 
flowers around to attract insects. Eemember 
that flies and mosquitoes breed by thousands in 
puddles and in stagnant water at the bottom of 
barrels and old dishes. Do not let the rain col- 
lect in this way near the house. 

Remember that flies and mosquitoes are dirty 
and go into dirty places. They frequently bring 
sickness, so do not be careless about them. 



76 WHEN MOTHER LETS US HELP 

PREPARING FOR GUESTS 

If you have a bed room that is always kept 
ready for guests, your work will be much easier. 

Wipe out the bureau and washstand drawers, 
and clean the room and closet thoroughly, if nec- 
essary, but at any rate dust them. Put a clean 
scarf on the bureau and wipe out the wash bowl 
and pitcher if the room has a wash stand. 

Hang up fresh towels, — one bath towel, one 
face towel and a wash cloth. Be sure that the 
soap dish is clean and filled with a generous 
cake of soap. Put a small pitcher of drinking 
water and a glass on the table or washstand. 

Always have on the bureau or dressing table 
a pincushion with unrusted pins in it, safety 
pins and plain pins, a hair brush and comb which 
should be washed after each guest, a clothes 
brush, a hand glass, nail scissors and file. These 
last are not so necessary, as most people prefer 
to use their o^^al. 

If there is an open fire place, have a fire laid 
in winter and in summer have a clean hearth. 
Never use the fire place as a dump for scraps 
and rubbish. See that the waste paper basket 
is empty. Be sure that there is a box of matches 
in the room and a lamp ready for use, if you use 
lamps. 




Preparing for Guests 



78 AVHEX MOTHER LETS US HELP 

On the desk or table there should be note 
23aper, ink, pens, post cards, postage stamps, a 
pad and pencils. If any family clothes or other 
things are kept in the guest room, be sure to 
remove them or tuck them into a corner if there 
is plenty of room, and cover them with a sheet. 

It is nice to have a wrapper and slippers kept 
in the closet for guests. Of course the beds must 
be freshh^ made up and plenty of blankets pro- 
vided. There should be a clock in the room, also 
some books and a coj)y of the Bible or New 
Testament. 

If there is no washstand and guests are ex- 
pected to use the bath room, be sure that there 
are fresh towels there and that the guest knows 
which they are. If the windows or window cur- 
tains are dirty, see that these are cleaned and 
that the ribbons or cords for the curtains are 
fresh. 

Do not let the dog or cat form the habit of 
going into any room used for guests. It is very 
annoying to some people. 

In case you have no separate guest room and 
the family has to 'Mouble up" when there is 
company, take particular pains to clear things 
out of at least two bureau drawers. Take your 
own things away from the top of the bureau 
and replace them by the toilet articles reserved 



WHEN MOTHER LETS US HELP 79 

for guests. Clear out a generous place in the 
closet. 

Be sure to take from the room anything that 
you yourself will need. Be doubly careful to 
see that everything is clean and that no soiled 
things are in the closets or on the bureau. Of 
course the bed must be freshly made up and 
fresh towels provided. 

Always have a hot water bag for elderly giiests 
in case they want it, and be sure to ask them 
if they like the bed warmed in winter. 

You cannot be too generous with extra blank- 
ets in cold weather. 

Do not forget to tell your guests the hours for 
meals and if possible find out what they like for 
breakfast. Many people are very particular as 
to what they eat at the morning meal. 



80 WHEN MOTHER LETS US HELP 



POLITENESS 

** Politeness is to do and say 
The kindest thing in the kindest way. 



>» 



WHEN MOTHER LETS US HELP 81 

WHEN YOTJ ARE VISITING 

Air your bedroom in the morning. 

Always be prompt at meals. 

Don't be fussy about your food. Never say 
*'I don't like this or that," but accept what is 
put before you. 

Always rinse out the bath-tub and wash-bowl 
after you have used them, and rinse off the soap. 

Don't leave clothes and things in disorder in 
your room, but put every thing awa}^ neatly be- 
fore you go down stairs. 

If you take books or magazines from the 
shelves put them back when you have finished 
reading them. 

Do not ask questions about the personal af- 
fairs of your host and^hostess. 

Tell your hostess if %ou spill or break any- 
thing. 

Say nothing ill-natured about people who 
have entertained you. 



82 



WHEN MOTHER LETS US HELP 




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